Carlos Marmol appeared pretty excited last month upon learning he was being traded to the Angels for Dan Haren, only to see the deal fall through because of medical concerns about Haren’s hip. Still a Cub, Marmol has been told he is a trade candidate, but that the team won’t “give him away,” reports Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Marmol is owed $9.8 million next season in the final year of his deal. It’d be a high price to pay for an inconsistent closer, but the Cubs would likely be willing to absorb some of that cash if it meant getting a legitimate prospect in return.

If the Cubs do trade Marmol, then newly signed Japanese import Kyuji Fujikawa will likely take over closing duties. He could steal the job away from Marmol regardless. While Marmol did put together a nice second half in 2012, he hasn’t been lights out since 2010.